Personally speaking, my view of the politics of those of us who profess great trust in the truth of interdependence is this: it's fine to argue about the size of government programs, and I have great respect for the libertarian impulse of personal responsibility professed by many of my friends, which is also the ethical basis for many Buddhist teachings.

Personal responsibility versus communal responsibility is a great and worthy debate, one that I continually engage in, both in my own mind and with others around me.

However, there should, in my humble opinion, be NO argument among anyone who aspires to be mindful and compassionate, over basic civil rights and personal equality. And the idea that a political party that has ZERO elected members who are willing to support basic civil rights might take over branches of government this year should be a scary truth for all members of the dharma community.

But on a somewhat lighter note, check out this quote via the interwebs. Also, one of the most superheroic dharma teachers today, Roshi Enkyo O'Hara, happens to also be gay. But that's an aside. The important thing is how great of a teacher she is. Just like the important thing in the military is how good you are at your job. Her podcast is linked below - just click on her happy face to get some wisdom in your ears.

Moral of the story: Gay people are superheroes. Lady Gaga, surprisingly, is a mere mortal. And everyone who voted no on repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell needs to sit down and contemplate the truth of interdependence a bit more.

‎"Apparently, we gays are the most powerful beings to ever walk the Earth. By our mere existence, we destroy marriage, family, and the military. We have the power, so it seems, to bring society crashing down. I had no idea I was a superhero, or perhaps some kind of anti-hero." - Stephen